Certified Crane Care Tech Tip: Dangers of Overloading Your Hoist

There
may be people out there who think, “I don't need to worry about overloading the
crane; the manufacturer built a big safety factor into the design.” This is a
dangerous misconception about overhead cranes and hoists. Overloading a hoist
may work the first few times you do it, but it can eventually lead to the
product failing which can harm people as well as property. Although overhead
cranes and hoists are designed with a built-in design factor, the crane is
attached to a building that may not share the same design factors as the crane
or hoist itself. Imagine an overloaded crane or hoist sitting on the
floor amid a collapsed building because the design factor for the crane was greater
than that of the building.

In
addition, it is important to recognize that not all hoists are equipped with
built-in overload protection. Since 1974 all chain hoists are required to have
an overload protection system. As such, many chain hoists are equipped
with mechanical slip clutches that are designed to prevent the hoist from
lifting the load once it passes a certain limit. However, wire rope
hoists have not been regulated with the same requirements and may not be
equipped with built-in overload protection.

One
common side effect of routine overloading in chain hoists is a reduction in the
ability of the hoist to lift a load. This happens because the continued
overloading damages the slip clutch, effectively causing it to slip at a lower
capacity on each subsequent lift. At some point, the hoist may not even
lift the rated load! If this happens, the hoist has likely been routinely
overloaded and needs to be serviced immediately. Ace offers repair
services for all types of hoists. (You can contact your nearest
branch by clicking here).

Every
time you exceed the capacity of a hoist, you effectively reduce the expected
lifespan by some amount. To extend the expected lifespan of your crane or
hoist, consider adding overload protection. Economical overload
protection devices can be added to almost all brands and types of hoists. Check
out our wide variety of load measurement
devices
for a solution that could prevent a costly failure.

Certified Crane Care is here to help you with your overhead crane and hoist. Our expertise includes Fall Protection training, inspections, repairs, modifications and modernization to help your company meet and exceed your safe operation needs.